MTL - Close to You - Chapter 11

The formless ancient world was infested with despicable demons. They hunted and feasted on mankind, keeping the human civilization constantly in a weak and suppressed state.

During the first known year, a magical mountain descended into the world from the realm of the Gods. Carved on this enormous mountain was a message: ‘Heaven Prevails’…

After the Grand Descent, a name that was given to the descending of the mountain, the Three Great Sages made their ways to Mystic Mountain where they learned to harvest what we now call magic, establishing the Mystic Cults and eighty-one sacred shrines to help aid mankind with the cult’s mystic powers against the eternal fight to the death with demons.

- Description from Novelupdates

What if an alien baby born in the midst of a major conflict on another planet was sent to Earth to save his life? Born with intelligence and the ability to create technology from any material he touches, he was found by a couple in rural Japan and raised like a normal human.Despite his powers beyond reason, living in a peaceful world forced him to restrain himself. He grew up as a young man who loved high-tech superheroes, but never had the chance to realize his dream of becoming a hero.However, everything changed when he and his classmates were suddenly transported to another world—a world of monsters, war, and chaos. Seeing the helplessness of the humans in that world, he realized that this was the chance he had been waiting for.Not with magic, swords, or ordinary physical strength—he would become a hero with technological sophistication that surpassed any civilization!This will be Ren Takamura's story!

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

Everyone told Wei Yingluo that her sister had taken her own life. But the mark left on the corpse told a different story. To unearth the truth, she entered the Forbidden City during Emperor Qianlong’s 6th year of reign.

After investigation, she found her sister’s death related to Prince Hongzhou, and became determined to avenge her. The kind Empress Fucha, worried that Yingluo would stray onto the wrong path, took her under her wing. With the help of the Empress, Wei Yingluo grew to be an honest and strong female official in the palace, letting go of her resentment and living her life seriously from then on.

Yet the Empress passed away unfortunately, causing Yingluo to misunderstand Emperor Qianlong. Hostile against each other, could they understand and support each other in the end?

- Description from Novelupdates